8 THE AZALEAS OF THE OLD WORLD 



and the Tea-plant was introduced from Japan about 1689. Breyne 

 (Prodromus, I. 4) states that he saw in the garden of Hieronymus van 

 Beverningk in 1678 a fine specimen of the Camphor-tree which had 

 been introduced from Japan. Again, in his Prodromus, II. 66 (1689) 

 Breyne tells of six varieties of Chrysanthemum from Japan which he 

 saw growing in Holland gardens. All these early introductions seem 

 to have been lost. I have carefully looked through many old books 

 of the 18th century and I find no references to any species of Azaleas 

 being in European gardens, and they appear to have been unknown in 

 Europe at the close of the 18th century. The one oriental species was 

 known to Linnaeus through the books. In Batavia, however, several 

 were grown, as we know from the writings of Burmann and Blume. 



In Aiton's Hortus Kewensis (1810) Azalea indica is stated to be in 

 cultivation in Kew, having been introduced from China in 1808 by the 

 Court of Directors of the East India Company in the ship "Cuffnels" 

 Captain Wellbank. This plant was Rhododendron Simsii Planch., and 

 here began a confusion between Linnaeus' species and the Chinese 

 Azalea which still survives. Through the activities of officers of the 

 East India Company at the close of the 18th and the beginning of the 

 19th centuries English gardens were enriched by many Chinese plants. 

 No officer was more active in this work than John Reeves, who as 

 Chief Inspector of Tea in the Company's establishment at Canton 

 resided in Macao and Canton from 1812 to 1831. He was either the 

 immediate or indirect source from which our gardens derived Camel- 

 lias, Moutan Paeonies, Chrysanthemums, Roses, Wistaria sinensis 

 and many Chinese Azaleas including R. Farrerae Tate, a pretty Hong- 

 kong species, and also R. phoeniceum G. Don, destined to be of so 

 much value as a stock on which to graft " Indian Azaleas," so called. 



In 1818 or 1819 Samuel Brooks, a nurseryman at Ball's Pond, New- 

 ington Green, sent out to China Joseph Poole, a gardener, and through 

 him secured among other plants Azalea indica alba (R. mucronatum 

 G. Don) and Azalea indica purpurea plena (R. mucronatum f. 

 plenum Wils.). In 1823 Azalea sinensis (R. molle G. Don) was 

 received from China by Loddiges of Hackney and by William Wells, 

 nurseryman, of Redleaf. In 1832 Joseph Knight, nurseryman, of 

 Chelsea, London, secured Azalea indica variegata (R. indicum f. 

 variegatum DC.) and A. indica lateritia (R. indicum Sweet) brought 

 home from China by Mr. M'Killigan. In 1821 Rhododendron Farrerae 

 was reintroduced and in 1832 R. indicum var. ignescens Sweet, both 

 through Captain Farrer of the East Indiaman "Orwell," who gave 



